Mike Tyson has opened up on his feelings after his fight with Jake Paul last month, with the boxing icon admitting he was left ‘a little bit depressed’ following the bout
Mike Tyson has openly expressed his feelings of being “kind of depressed” following his high-profile clash with Jake Paul, despite pocketing a cool £15million.
The boxing legend didn’t emerge victorious in their recent bout, which was decided in eight rounds, with the judges scoring it 80-72, 79-73 and 79-73 unanimously in favour of Paul.
Despite the defeat being a bitter pill to swallow, the substantial payday provided some consolation for Tyson, who discussed the emotional lows after the high-stakes match during a conversation with Steve Covino and Rich Davis on the FOX Sports Radio YouTube channel earlier this month.
The 58-year-old sporting icon reflected on his post-fight mood and the transition back to normal life, saying: “That fight was such a big ascent-we were so up and high, we were so excited. The fight’s over, boom. Wow, I’m kind of depressed a little bit.
“We got to get back [into] our living situation [daily life], back to living. [We were] training for it 9 months.”
His remarks highlight the psychological impact that such a significant event can have, even when considering the financial rewards and the fact that streaming giant Netflix broadcasted the event, labelling it as the most streamed sporting event ever.
Over 108 million viewers tuned into Netflix to watch the eagerly-awaited boxing event. Social media was buzzing with conversation before, during and after the fight, but not all fans were pleased about it.
Some criticised that the match didn’t live up to the hype, highlighting Tyson’s lack of energy throughout the contest, reports the Express.
Speaking with 7News, Tyson described the encounter as surreal, adding: “Magically. It just happened so quick. Eight rounds were over fast. I wasn’t tired. I wasn’t sweating. I didn’t understand that.”
Meanwhile, on a FOX radio show appearance, Tyson recalled fragmented memories, saying: “I don’t remember the fight that much, I kind of blanked out a little.”
He added, explaining a bizarre in-ring incident: “Coming back from the first round and then the next thing I remember Jake was doing some kind of, I don’t know, a bow. And that’s the last thing I remember. I thought he was gonna hit me, I thought what the hell is he doing? “.
Furthermore, Paul’s team addressed speculation that the fight wasn’t legitimate. Most Valuable Promotions, linked to ‘The Problem Child’, countered strongly in a recent press release: “Rigging a professional boxing match is a federal crime in the United States of America. Paul vs. Tyson was a professional match sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR).”
“Both fighters in good faith performed to the best of their abilities with the goal of winning the fight. There were absolutely no restrictions – contractual or otherwise around either fighter. Each boxer was able to use his full arsenal to win the fight. Any agreement to the contrary would violate TDLR boxing rules.”
“Trash talk and speculation are common in sports, and athletes and promoters need to tolerate nonsensical commentary, jokes and opinions. But suggesting anything other than full effort from these fighters is not only naïve but an insult to the work they put into their craft and to the sport itself.”
